LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC), on Tuesday, rebuked the Punjab government over illegal housing societies sprouting across the provincial capital and said that it must address the issue before commencing Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project (RRUDP).
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The court also remarked that the government must mitigate pollution in the city before starting the project.
The remarks were given by LHC Judge Justice Shahid Karim while hearing petitions filed by Advocate Sheraz Zaka and others against the RRUDP on behalf of the farmers today.
The petitioners had challenged ‘coercion’ in the land acquisition for the project by the RRUDP, claiming it to be against the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.
The applicants had also questioned the legitimacy of the environment impact assessment (EIA) of the project which they alleged had been done by an unregistered consultant.
At the onset of the hearing, RRUDP’s counsel Barrister Ali Zafar, also a Senator, argued that the project had been launched to prevent eccentric constructions in Lahore. At this, the court remarked that the government must first take action against them before launching the project.
“Lahore has now become the most polluted city. The courts have to interfere in such cases and sometimes, have to exceed their jurisdiction to resolve the issue”, said Justice Shahid Karim and added that the same was being done in the case of smog.
He hailed the government’s vision to establish a symmetric city however emphasised that all legal formalities should be fulfilled before the commencement of the project.
According to the jurist, Lahore was getting polluted every day and that the entire population could not move to the new Lahore.
What the government was doing against the illegal housing societies that were springing up in every corner of the provincial capital? The LHC asked.
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Senator Barrister Ali Zafar assured the bench that he would consult with his counterparts to introduce a private member’s bill in the upper house of the parliament. The counsel will now furnish more arguments in the next proceeding on December 17.
